


THE BUS INTERVENTION

by WordMusician



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, mini adventure, this could be a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 02:57:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10732719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WordMusician/pseuds/WordMusician
Summary: 14 minutes before the opening credits of “Rose”, Season 1 Episode 1.  Something happens on the bus ride to work that Rose will never remember and the Doctor will never forget.





	THE BUS INTERVENTION

**Author's Note:**

> Playing with Rose's later comment, "They keep trying to split us up but they never ever can." Perhaps there was more to that comment than even she was aware of, hmmmm?

Rose slouched into her seat and tried to keep her feelings from registering on her face.  The new bus driver was creepy.  She couldn’t say exactly why she felt that way about him, but she also couldn’t shake that impression.  Mr. Evans had been a great driver.  He’d always had a smile for her and even let her skip the fare now and then if she was a bit short.  She always tried to pay double the next time, but also knew that she sometimes forgot and yet he never called her on it.  This new fellow – she’d never seen him before and she rode this same bus back and forth to work every day – he’d not even glanced at her.  He just stared straight ahead through his regulation aviator sunglasses.  Wait.  Why’d he have sunglasses? Today was overcast...

“Anyone sitting here?”

Rose cut a sideways glance at a pair of scuffed Converse and pin striped ankles before shuffling closer to the window.  She was aware of a long body folding into the seat beside her.  Then the hem of a brown great coat snagged on her knees.

“Sorry.”  The fabric was jerked away.

There was a shout from the back of the bus and then a string of profanity as the double decker banked sharply and lurched to a stop.  Rose braced herself to maintain personal space.  Her seatmate did not and crashed a shoulder into her.

“Sorry,” the man mumbled then laughed softly. “I seem to be saying that quite a lot lately.  Still,” there was a superior sounding sniff, “this driver is a bit rough don’t you think?”

Rose replied to the window, “He’s rubbish; probably his first day on the job.”

“Oh?  What makes you think that?”

Rose rolled her eyes at his persistence in chatting her up.  He was probably some bored married bloke, keen on making time with a young blonde.  _Sorry mister, but I’ve got a nice boyfriend, thank you very much._

“Come on, humor me.  What have you noticed?”

Why did this bloke care what she noticed?  Then again it was a way to pass the time and Rose had been raised to be nice to strangers.  Nice, but not naive; she continued to watch the city out her window.  “Well, for one thing he’s never driven this bus before.  Not while I’ve been taking it.  He’s messing up the route and missing regular stops.  I’d pay attention to where you want off, if I were you.”  There, she’d said her piece and given him some friendly advice.

“Which stop is yours?”

Rose turned her head to tell him to sod off and mind his own business when she broke the cardinal rule of public transit: Don’t make eye contact with a fellow traveller.   Instead she was captured by his warm dark gaze and found her foolish heart skipping a beat.  His eyes were ancient and young all at the same time.  They were a very deep chocolate brown that her mate Shareen would probably say you could drown in, if you were lucky.  Rose felt she was drowning already; it was hard to catch her breath.  His eyes crinkled kindly at the corners in what she guessed were a smile.  She was unaware that she was chewing on her lower lip until his eyes flicked downward before returning to skewer her very soul.

“Hello, I’m the Doctor,” his voice was as warm and welcoming as he gaze.

“Hello,” she breathed.  With a slight shudder she blinked and focussed on his whole face.  It was angular and pale with a smattering of freckles.  Chestnut hair spilled forward in an artful disarray that had Rose wanting to touch. “I’m Rose.”

Another blink and she noted the brown overcoat, brown suit, white oxford and loosely knotted paisley tie.  He was too casual to be a salesman or business professional, a professor maybe?  He’d said “Doctor.”  Doctor of what exactly?  “I’m going up town.  I work at Hendrik’s Department Store,” she volunteered before she could think better of it.

“Right,” he nodded as if to confirm something to himself.  “I saw you there once.”

Rose frowned slightly.  Was he a stalker?  She knew she’d never waited on him; he was too striking to forget.  Still, it was a big store so she could have missed him.  Then again there was something familiar about him... the more he spoke to her...it was as if they had met, but not at the store...

As if sensing she was about to ask him, the Doctor shifted slightly away and faced forwards.  “So tell me what else you’ve noticed about our bus driver.”

“What?  Err, well, I did think it was a bit off, him wearing those sunglasses and it’s not even bright out.”

“Could be he’s got weak eyes,”

“Yeah but then he shouldn’t be driving professionally.”

“Good point.  What else?”

“He’s got his jacket all zipped up and he’s wearing gloves.  It’s not even chilly.”  Rose was staring at the driver now too.  “And see how he never turns his head?  What’s that, a bad back or neck or something?  I guess he’s relying on the mirrors to avoid traffic.”

“Hmmm perhaps,” the Doctor reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a fancy penlight.  The tip was blue and there was a soft whirring sound that Rose could just make out over the roar of the bus engine.  He fiddled with the torch and then muttered, “Too much interference.”

“What?”  Rose hated that she kept asking that question – it made her feel stupid, but she didn’t understand what this strange man was doing.

Suddenly he turned to her, tense excitement on his face.  “I need to get closer to the driver without him noticing me.”

“What? Why?”

“Will you help me?  Please Rose?”  

Hearing her name on his lips did strange things to Rose.  The practical, saner part of her was panicking with the stunning realization that she could hardly refuse this handsome stranger anything.  The riskier, adventure longing part of her was jumping at the hint of mystery and danger surrounding this man.  From nowhere she felt a strong surge of trust and before she could stop herself she blurted, “What do you want me to do?”

“Distract him.  Your stop’s coming up soon isn’t it?  How about going up and reminding him?”

“Okay, I can do that.”  She stood quickly and stepped over the Doctor’s long legs to reach the aisle.  She tugged down on her pink hoodie and shot him a nervous smile before staggering towards the front. 

The bus made another lurching stop before she made it, so Rose was forced to weave around other passengers coming and going.  She wanted to warn off those who were climbing on board this crazy bus, but knew she’d be ignored.  A swerve and lurch had her narrowly missing a pair of shiny brogues.  “Sorry,” she muttered and pushed on not waiting for a reply.  The farther she got from the Doctor the less his charisma affected her and Rose began to wonder just what she was doing.

Finally she reached the front of the bus and addressed the creepy driver, trying not to sound overly embarrassed, “Yeah, so I just want to remind you of the next stop.  I have to get off there to get to Henrick’s and – oh!”

At the mention of the department store, the driver slammed his foot down on the accelerator.  Rose just had time to grab the support pole to keep from falling down the small stairwell.  “Oi!” she shouted over the noise of vehicle horns, shouted cries and curses.  “What are you doing?  Are you crazy, mister?”

Slowly the driver’s head turned and Rose could see her own startled face in his mirrored sunglasses.  The bus swayed dangerously and Rose held on tight.  “Eyes on the road there!” she cautioned.

“I’m reporting you!” shouted a red faced man to Rose’s left.  “I’ll make sure you’re sacked.”

“We’re going to die!” screamed a woman.

Still the driver stared down Rose.

Suddenly there was a blur of brown wool and a flash of blue light.  The driver slumped over the wheel.  “Rose!” shouted the Doctor, “Get him out.”  He was climbing over the inert form and wrestling with the wheel.  “I’ve got this.”

Rose tugged on the driver’s arm and pulled him out of the seat letting him slump over the dash at her feet.  She stared at his face and suddenly felt icy cold.  The lower half of his face was wrong.  There was a nose but no nostrils.  There were lips but no seam for a mouth.  Was it some kind of mask? Who was this creep and what was he doing driving their bus?

“Alright everyone!” shouted the Doctor, “Everything is under control.  Bit of a medical emergency but I’m the Doctor.  Please stay in your seats.”  There was a smattering of applause as the bus slowed and the Doctor began the process of safely getting them back on the bus route.

Even in her dazed state, Rose noticed he’d said “the Doctor” not “a Doctor.”  What did that mean?  “What do we do with him?” Rose asked pointing at the bus driver.  She wanted to shout out that there was something wrong with his face, that he didn’t even look human, but decided the other passengers were already freaked out enough.

“Oh, I’ll take care of him,” the Doctor replied.  There was such darkness and deep anger in his voice that it had Rose shrinking back.  She’d known her share of angry men in her young life.  The Doctor, catching her reaction, flinched as if regretting his words and her response. Then he flashed a manic grin before turning his attention back to the road.  “Rose Tyler, you were brilliant!”

“Me?  I didn’t do anything.”

“Of course you did.  You got him reveal his true purpose and made it possible for me to sneak up and neutralize him.”

“His true purpose?”

“Yep!” he popped his “p” enthusiastically and stopped the bus.  “Okay folks, everyone off.  Another bus will be by to pick you up in five minutes.  Sorry for the inconvenience, but if you give your name the company will issue you a free pass good for the next... oh... month.  Thank you for using London Transit.”  The passengers surged to the rear exit to avoid the prone bus driver and the strange couple up front.  “Not you, Rose.  For your brilliant assistance I’ll drop you off at your stop, yeah?”  He then began cajoling the others to move smartly, in single file.

Rose stared at the happy Doctor.  This was all so very strange and happening so quickly, but Rose wasn’t one to miss the details.  He had called her Rose Tyler and she was certain she hadn’t given him her full name.  They didn’t wear name tags at Hendriks so even if he’d seen her there, he wouldn’t have learned her name unless he’d asked after her, or followed her, or ... 

“How did you know my name was Rose Tyler?” she asked quietly while the last of the people exited. 

The Doctor looked at her with barely concealed dismay.  She stood before him with narrowed suspicious eyes and folded arms – the very picture of feminine Prentice-Tyler ire.  Nervously he tugged on his ear, “Did you tell me?”

“No.”  Rose was still quiet, but there was steel in her voice. “How do you know me and what exactly is going on here?  Is this some kind of prank?  Look at him,” she pointed to the bus driver, “Look at his face, is that some sort of mask?  Why doesn’t he have a proper face?”

Gingerly, the Doctor slid out of the driver’s seat but Rose backed down the aisle, keeping a safe distance between them.  “Answer me, Doctor or I’ll scream my bloody head off.”

Make placating gestures with his hands, he quickly tried to diffuse the situation.  “No Rose, don’t do that please.  I mean you no harm, really!  I’m a friend.  A very good friend, I hope, at least I will be in the future, that is to say... bullocks!”  He ran a frustrated hand through his messy hair.  “That,” he pointed to the bus driver, “was here to kidnap you, to keep you away from work today.”

“What?  Why?”

“Because today you are going to meet someone and it’s very, very important.  So important that some bad people want to make sure it doesn’t happen.”

“That makes no sense.  Who am I going to meet?  How do you know about it and who is trying to kidnap me?  Why me, I’m just a shop girl!”

“I know it doesn’t make sense, but you’ve just got to trust me,” he winced at her suspicious glare.  “Haven’t I earned a bit of trust?  I did save you just now.”

“You raised a hell of a lot of questions, that’s what you did, Doctor.  And so far you haven’t answered any of them that I can tell.”

“I can’t tell you more, I’m sorry.” Swift as lightning he closed the gap between them and brushed fingertips against her temples.  “I’m so, so sorry,” he murmured as she slumped into him and together they slid to the aisle floor. 

He took a moment to breathe deeply of the scent that was forever uniquely Rose Marion Tyler.  Being with her, even like this, was a balm to his dry soul. He spent a few precious moments simply savouring her soft weight against his chest before he carefully began to block the memories of their bus ride together.  He dared go no deeper than the surface of her most recent short term memories.  Even then he found himself trembling with the pleasure of such mental intimacy.  Rose’s mind was so beautiful, her spirit so bright.... He could have wept with joy but he urged himself to remain disciplined and worked swiftly.  She couldn’t remember any of this without creating a dangerous paradox.  He’d taken a tremendous gamble to come back to this point in her timeline but when he discovered the plot to keep them from ever actually meeting he’d had no other choice.

An alliance of enemies had been made once it was discovered this was a weak point in the Doctor’s own convoluted timeline.  If he never met Rose she would not be there to save him from the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness and if he did manage to somehow escape them, he most definitely would be defeated on Satellite 5 without Rose and Bad Wolf’s rescue.  With the Doctor out of the way, dark forces would have their way with the Earth and everything else in the universe. That could not be allowed to happen.

Gently the Doctor lifted Rose into a seat near the back of the bus.  He allowed himself a gentle kiss on her forehead before bushing her temples once more with careful fingers.  He knew how much she loathed having someone “mess with her mind” so he quietly asked her forgiveness before planting a subconscious suggestion that she volunteer to take the staff’s lottery collection to Wilson after closing that night. 

The disturbed timelines snapped back in place and the Doctor felt an odd jolt of self-jealousy as he remembered how the next few hours would unfold. His younger self had so much to look forward to and he would barely appreciate it until it was too late.

For Rose, this morning would be nothing more than one of those strange experiences where one zones out and loses track of what they were doing.  She would remember climbing aboard and then she would be standing at the back ready to disembark at her stop.  She would have no inkling that her whole life was about to change.

Grim faced, the Doctor once more took to the driver’s seat.  He cast a contemptuous glance at the lifeless bus driver puppet.  He would dispose of it once he had delivered Rose to her bus stop and their destiny. 


End file.
